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Alan Blayney

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Alan Blayney
Personal information
Date of birth (1981-10-09)9 October 1981(age 43)
Place of birth Belfast,Northern Ireland
Height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team
 Larne(goalkeeping coach)
Youth career
1997–2001 Glentoran
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2001–2006 Southampton 3 (0)
2002 →Stockport County(loan) 2 (0)
2002–2003 →AFC Bournemouth(loan) 2 (0)
2005 →Rushden & Diamonds(loan) 4 (0)
2005 →Brighton & Hove Albion(loan) 7 (0)
2005 →Brighton & Hove Albion(loan) 8 (0)
2006–2007 Doncaster Rovers 24 (0)
2007 Oldham Athletic 1 (0)
2007 Bohemians 3 (0)
2008–2009 Ballymena United 32 (0)
2009–2014 Linfield 118 (0)
2014 →Ards(loan) 11 (0)
2014–2015 Glenavon 17 (0)
2015–2017 Ballymena United 34 (0)
2017 Dundela 4 (0)
2017 Warrenpoint Town 6 (0)
2018 Ballyclare Comrades 5 (0)
Total 281 (0)
International career
2002–2003 Northern Ireland U21 5 (0)
2006–2011 Northern Ireland 5 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Alan Blayney(born 9 October 1981) is a retired professionalfootballerwho played as agoalkeeperand is now the first team goalkeeper coach atNIFL PremiershipsideLarne.

Beginning his professional career withSouthamptonin thePremier Leaguewhere he made three appearances, Blayney had additional loan spells withStockport County,AFC Bournemouth,Rushden & DiamondsandBrighton & Hove Albion(twice). He then spent just over a year withDoncaster Roversbefore having successive quick spells withOldham AthleticandBohemians,before returning to his native Northern Ireland withBallymena United.After one season he moved toLinfieldwhere he won threeleague titlesand threeIrish Cups.He subsequently played forGlenavon,Ballymena United again,Dundela,Warrenpoint TownandBallyclare Comradesbefore retiring.

He also representedNorthern Irelandat international level and under-21 level, winning five caps for both sides.

Club career

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England

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Born fromBelfast,Northern Ireland, Blayney started his career withPremiershipsideSouthamptonand was loaned out toStockport County,[1]but the loan was cut short by a broken finger.[2]He also he had a spell atAFC Bournemouthon loan.[3]He made his début for Southampton in May 2004, receiving a high amount of praise.[4]Blayney also wonSky Sportssave of the season after saving anAlan Shearerheader in May 2004 on his Premier League debut.[5]The match atSt Mary'sended in a 3–3 draw.[6]Blayney also played in the following 2–1 defeat atCharlton.Blayney would play two more games for Southampton the following season, the 2–2 Premier League draw againstWest Bromwich Albionand the 5–2League Cuploss againstWatford.Blayney, who was then behindAntti NiemiandPaul Smithin the team's pecking order went on loan toRushden & Diamonds[7]andBrighton & Hove Albion.[8]Brighton tried to sign Blayney on a permanent basis in 2005, but could not afford the transfer fee Southampton were asking.[9]Blayney did return to Brighton & Hove Albion for a second loan spell,[10]before returning to Southampton in mid-December.

Blayney then joinedDoncaster Roversfor £50,000 from Southampton in January 2006, signing a two-and-a-half-year contract, with hopes of getting the team promoted to theChampionship.[11]Blayney started off as first choice goalkeeper atBelle Vue stadium,but fell behindBen Smithand DaneJan Budtzin the pecking order after an ankle injury.[12]He decided to leave the club for personal reasons.[13]

In February 2007, Blayney joined League One sideOldham Athletic,until the end of the2006–07 season,after impressing in areserve teammatch.[14]Blayney made his début for Oldham Athletic in a 1–2 home defeat against Bournemouth, after first choice goalkeeperLes Pogliacomiwas suspended.[15]

League of Ireland & Irish League

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On 7 August, Alan Blayney joined Irish sideBohemianson a short term deal to provide cover for first choice goalkeeperBrian Murphy.He marked his debut with a clean sheet as Bohs beatBray Wanderers3–0 on 31 August. He failed to gain the number 1 shirt from Brian Murphy though and was released at the end of the season.

On 15 March 2008, Blayney signed for Irish Premiership sideBallymena United,[16]although he was unable to play for the Braidmen until the 2008–09 season. In June 2009, Blayney signed a three-year contract forLinfield.[17]Following good performances for Linfield on their way to the2010–11 IFA Premiershiptitle, Blayney was chosen as theUlster Footballer of the Yearfor the 2010–11 season.[18] He joined fellow NIFL Premiership clubArdson loan for the second half of the 2013–14 season.[19]

Following his loan spell at Ards, Blayney left Linfield at the end of the2013–14 NIFL Premiershipseason to sign for2013–14 Irish CupwinnersGlenavon.[20]Despite a strong start to the season, Blayney later lost his starting spot at Glenavon to number two goalkeeper James McGrath, and left the club for a second spell atBallymena Unitedon 5 May 2015.

Blayney initially started his second spell at Ballymena as the number one choice, following the departure of Australian goalkeeper Tim Allen. However, the arrival of former Linfield managerDavid Jeffreysaw his game time limited, with Linfield loanee Ross Glendinning usurping Blayney as number one during the2016–17season. The return of Tim Allen to the club meant that Blayney was free to talk to other clubs. He left Ballymena by mutual consent on 27 January 2017.

Blayney signed forNIFL Premier Intermediate Leagueside Dundela on 1 February 2017. He returned to theNIFL Premiershipin the 2017-18 season, having signed a pre-contract with2016–17 NIFL ChampionshipwinnersWarrenpoint Town.

On 14 December 2017, it was announced that Blayney had signed forBallyclare Comrades.

International football

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Blayney, a formerNorthern Ireland under-21international, played his first match for theNorthern Ireland senior national teamin their 2006 summer tour of the United States. Northern Ireland lost the match againstRomania2–0.[21]He followed this with three appearances in 2010.

Honours

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Linfield

References

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  1. ^"Transfers – October 2002".BBC Sport. 29 October 2002.Retrieved23 February2007.
  2. ^"Blayney's break frustrates Hatters".BBC Sport. 27 November 2002.Retrieved23 February2007.
  3. ^"Blayney joins Cherries".BBC Sport. 25 December 2002.Retrieved23 February2007.
  4. ^"Blayney stars in debut".BBC Sport. 13 May 2004.Retrieved23 February2007.
  5. ^"Keeper Leaves Saints".Vital Football. 5 January 2006.Retrieved24 February2007.
  6. ^"Southampton 3–3 Newcastle".BBC Sport. 12 May 2005.Retrieved23 February2007.
  7. ^"Littlejohn completes Rushden move".BBC Sport. 7 January 2005.Retrieved23 February2007.
  8. ^"Seagulls sign two on deadline day".BBC Sport. 24 March 2005.Retrieved23 February2007.
  9. ^"Brighton rule out Blayney signing".BBC Sport. 17 June 2005.Retrieved23 February2007.
  10. ^"Blayney pleased at Albion return".BBC Sport. 20 September 2005.Retrieved23 February2007.
  11. ^"Doncaster snap up keeper Blayney".BBC Sport. 5 January 2006.Retrieved23 February2007.
  12. ^"Blayney injury worries Doncaster".BBC Sport. 24 October 2006.Retrieved26 July2007.
  13. ^"Keeper Blayney leaves Doncaster".BBC Sport. 24 January 2007.Retrieved26 July2007.
  14. ^"Oldham complete Blayney signing".BBC Sport. 16 February 2007.Retrieved23 February2007.
  15. ^"Oldham 1–2 Bournemouth".BBC Sport. 24 February 2007.Retrieved24 February2007.
  16. ^"Alan Blayney signs for Ballymena United".Ballymena United F.C. 16 March 2008. Archived fromthe originalon 16 May 2008.Retrieved16 March2008.
  17. ^"Breaking News: Alan Blayney signs".Linfield F.C. 1 June 2009. Archived fromthe originalon 13 July 2011.Retrieved1 June2009.
  18. ^"Alan Blayney wins Ulster Footballer of the Year award".Bbc.co.uk.13 May 2011.Retrieved3 August2018.
  19. ^"Ards Football Club - Blayney agrees to loan move".Archived fromthe originalon 2 January 2014.Retrieved2 January2014.
  20. ^"Alan Blayney agrees two-year pre-contract with Glenavon".Bbc.co.uk.30 April 2014.Retrieved3 August2018.
  21. ^"Romania 2–0 Northern Ireland".BBC Sport. 27 May 2006.Retrieved23 February2007.
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